Cotoneaster prostratus ‘Arnold-Forster’

Cotoneasterprostratus Arnold-Forster is quite possibly another microspecies; this variety has long been in cultivation, mostly erroneously as Cotoneaster buxifolius but never much more than in collections which is a shame since it is such a beautiful smaller low growing evergreen. It forms attractive low mounds up to 1m of dark grey green foliage and is smothered in June in quite striking blossom and followed by good displays of large succulent deep blood red fruit which are usually ignored by birds.

Named in honour of one of our most esteemed gardeners William Arnold-Forster 1886 – 1951who created an amazing garden he called the Eagle’s Nest on moorland near Zennor on Cornwall’s rugged Atlantic coast. This he used as a test bed and wrote of his experiences with gardening and plants and shrubs in particular in one of the most remarkable works of garden literature - ‘Shrubs for the Milder Counties’